Common Nicknames

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When looking at the names on the census records, keep in mind that many of our ancestors could not read or write. They often did not know how their name was spelled, even their parents did not know. The census taker just took a guess and even he often could barely read or write. For example the wife of William Jasper Wright was Syundusta. That name is spelled differently in every place I've seen it. I decided to use the spelling on her headstone.

Some common nicknames from years past are :

Polly = Mary
Patty or Patsy = Martha
Peggy = Margaret
Fanny or Franky = Frances
Sukey = Susan
Sally or Saccy = Sarah
Jenny, Jinty, or Jincy = Jane

I have a lot of Mary's in my ancestry. So one census will list Mary Jane, then 10 years later, she is listed as Polly. William is also a very common name. It is often abbreviated as Wm and using William Jasper again, sometimes he is listed as William, sometimes Jasper and sometimes as Wm.